Apparatus for producing cross-bottom valve bags



March 19, 1968 F. F. BROCKMULLER APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CROSS-BOTTOMVALVE BAGS Filed Feb. 5, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 Jnvenlqr' FRIEDRICHFRANZ BROCKMULLER March 19, 1968 A F. F. aRocKMULLE 3,373,664

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CROSSBOTTOM VALVE BAGS Filed Feb. 5, 1964 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

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Jnvenfgr FRIEDRICH FRANZ BROCKMULLER Mm (f /(6 hi6 ATTor'ney APPARATUSFOR PRODUCING CROSS-BOTTOM VALVE BAGS FRIEDRICH FRANZ BROCKMULLER madhmATTorhey United States Patent C 3,373,664 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCENGCRGSS-BGTTQM VALVE BAGS Friedrich Franz Brockrniiller, Lengerich,Westphalia, Germany, assignor to Windmcller & Holscher, Lengerich,Westphalia, Germany Filed Feb. 5, 1964, er. No. 342,744 Claims priority,application Germany, Feb. 22, 1963, W 33,959 14 Claims. (Cl. 93-8)ABSTRACT (BF THE DISCLOSURE In an apparatus for producing cross-bottomvalve bags, which includes at least one tube-forming device and at leasta pair of bottom-laying devices which are disposed laterally withrespect to the tube-forming device, and in which the tubes aretransported via a pair of superposed conveyor belts from thetube-forming device onto delivery tables where a predetermined number ofthem are stacked into bundles, an improved transfer system for stackingthe tubes and transferring bundles of tubes to the pair of bottom layingdevices, which comprises a pair of transfer devices each of whichincludes two delivery tables disposed at approximately right angles toone another which are mounted in a frame which is rockable about avertical axis through the angle enclosed between them, and each of whichis adapted to cooperate with one of the two superposed conveyor belts. Afirst one of the two delivery tables is thus positioned at the beginningof an operating cycle, underneath one of the superposed conveyor beltswhich transports tubes from the tube-forming device, and is rearwardlyinclined so that it can receive a predetermined number of tubes from thetube-forming device. Thereafter this first one delivery table is pivotedby pivoting means into a horizontal plane and the two tables are rockedthrough an angle of approximately 90 so that the first delivery table ispositioned over a conveyor belt for transporting the bundle of tubes toone of the pair of bottom-laying devices, whereas the other deliverytable is now positioned underneath the conveyor belt which transportstubes from the tube-forming device, for receiving a predetermined numberof tubes therefrom. Each of the delivery tables includes means forselectively releasing a bundle of tubes when it is positioned over theconveyor belt for transporting the bundle of tubes to one of the pair ofbottom-laying devices.

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing cross-bottom valvebags, comprising a tube-forming device and a bottom-laying device, inwhich at the end of the tube-forming device there is or are provided oneor more pivotable delivery tables by means of which the bundles of tubepieces formed on them and standing rearwardly inclined are tippedforwards on to horizontal transport devices which are disposedtransversely of the tubeforming device and which feed the bundles oftube pieces to the bottom-laying device.

On a device of this kind, it is, for the purpose of reducing the spacerequired by the entire plane and avoiding the formation of wasted spacewhen a plurality of such plants are installed, already known that at theend of the tube-forming device there are disposed, parallel to the axisextending lengthwise of said device, conveyor belts, one on the rightand one on the left, which receive transversely and transport thebundles of tube pieces, while at the end of the conveyor belts thebottom-laying device, preferably consisting of two bottom-laying machines, is likewise disposed parallel to the axis extending lengthwiseof the tube-forming device.

On this known device the tube pieces coming from the tube-forming deviceare fed to delivery tables which form portions of transfer devices andwhich, for the purpose of transferring to the conveyor belts, a bundleat a time, the pieces assembled on them into loose bundles of tubepieces, are first rocked forwards into a horizontal position, whereuponwith simultaneous rotation through they are moved sideways to a pointabove one of the conveyor belts leading to the bottom-laying device andthen lowered in the direction of the conveyor belt in order to releasethe bundle of tube pieces. The transfer devices provided for thispurpose are however expensive and work relatively slowly.

The object of the present invention is to provide transfer devices whichare less expensive and work more simply, so that in particular more timewill be available in accordance with the working rhythm for depositingthe bundles of tube pieces on to the conveyor belt or belts, whereby inthe end an increase in the speed of production of the entire plant willbe achieved. To this end the invention consists in that each of thetransfer devices has two delivery tables disposed at least approximatelyat right-angles to one another, said tables being in each case rockableby means of a common rocking element through the angle enclosed betweenthem, about a vertical axis, while the rearwardly inclined deliverytables are each held on a correspondingly inclined frame which togetherwith the delivery table is rockable through the angle of inclinationinto a horizontal plane, and each delivery table is divided and adaptedto move in relation to the frame in such a manner that the bundle oftube pieces can be lowered downwards.

A number of embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a cording to the invention,

FIGURE 2 a section on the line II-II in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 a view of a transfer device in the direction of the arrow Illin FIGURE 2, on a larger scale, and

FIGURE 4 a plan view of another form of construction of an apparatusaccording to the invention.

From a diagrammatically indicated tube-drawing machine 1 (FIGURE 1) inwhich a plurality of paper Webs are converted into multi-layer tubepieces 2, the tube pieces pass either on to a conveyor belt 3 or on to aconveyor belt 4 depending on the position of a known separator (notillustrated). The conveyor belt 3 transports the tube pieces 2 suppliedto it to a delivery table 5 or 6, while the conveyor belt 4 delivers thetube pieces 2 supplied to it to a delivery table 7 or 8. The tube piecesare collected on the delivery tables, and a determined number of themare in each case passed first to the conveyor belt 4 (see FIGURES 1 and2) and then to the conveyor belt 3 by the known separator.

The delivery tables 5 and 6 are parts of a transfer devide 9 accordingto the invention, and the delivery tables 7 and 8 are parts of acorresponding transfer device 10. Each transfer device 9, It comprisestwo rocking arms 13, 14 and 15, 16 respectively, which are offset by 90in relation to one another, are rockable through 90 about a common axis11 and 12 respectively, and the free ends of which are forked.

Each delivery table 5-8 is formed of a divided plate, the halves 5a, 5b,6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, of which are held by their sides facing awayfrom one another rockably on members of a frame 17, 18, 19 or 20respectively. Each frame is associated with one of the rocking arms androtatably mounted on the forked end of the rocking arm by means of tWolateral pivots forming the rocking axis of the movable parts. The twoplate halves ground plan of an apparatus acof each delivery table areheld in their closed position by a locking bolt 21. The locking bolt canfor example be drawn back electromagnetically against the action of aspring, so that the table plate halves can open up into the positionshown in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 3.

The delivery tables 5 and 8 transfer to a conveyor belt 24 the tubepieces collected on them into loose bundles of tube pieces 22 and 23respectively, while the delivery tables 6 and 7 transfer to a conveyorbelt 27 the loose bundles of tube pieces 25 and 26 respectively. Theconveyor belt 24 feeds the bundles of tube pieces 22 and 23 to abottom-laying machine 28 and the conveyor belt 27 feeds the bundles oftube pieces 25 and 26 to a bottom-laying machine 29.

The apparatus for holding and rocking each frame 17, 18, 19, 20 with therespective table 5, 6, 7 or 8 comprises a pneumatic cylinder 30 which ismounted for pivoting about a horizontal axis on a carrier 31 which inturn is fastened on one leg of the forked end of the rocking arm 13, 14,15 or 16 respectively. In each pneumatic cylinder a double action pistonis slidably mounted, while its piston rod 32 is articulated to the freeend of a lever 33. The lever 33 is fastened on one (34) of the pivots ofthe frame, which is extended outwards. Through the sliding of thepistons into the pneumatic cylinder the frames with the delivery tablecan be rocked out of their inclined position through the angle ofinclination into a horizontal plane, and conversely brought back intotheir inclined positions.

The transfer devices 9, 10, each of which comprises two rocking arms 13,14 and 15, 16 respectively, are rocked through 90 about their rockingaxes 11 and 12 respectively by means of a gear motor 35 and 36respectively (see FIGURE 2), which drives a gearwheel 37 fastened 0n therocking axes 11 and 12 respectively.

While, as already explained, the table plate halves are opened outthrough the drawing back of the locking bolt 21, the closing of thetable halves of each delivery table 5, 6, 7, '8 is effected through adevice which will be described below with reference to FIGURE 3. Eachtable half is mounted by means of pivots in members of the frame, ofwhich the one lying at the front in FIGURE 3 in each case carries alever 38. For the purpose of closing each table half a pneumaticcylinder 39 and 40 respectively is provided, which is mounted pivotallyon the frame. In each cylinder a double action piston is slidablymounted. The piston rods 41 carry at their free ends a draw member 42which has a slot 43. At its free end each lever 38 carries a guide bolt44 projecting into or through the slot 43, said bolt being for exampleconstructed as a screw bolt and adapted to be pushed from outsidethrough the slot and screwed into a threaded hole in the lever.

When the tube pieces are stacked on the delivery table, the piston rods41 and the levers 38 assume the position shown in FIGURE 3. After thetipping of the frame into the horizontal position, followed by therocking of the transfer device through 90, whereby the delivery tablescarrying a bundle of tube pieces arrive above the conveyor belt 24 or27, the locking bolt 21 is drawn back in order to transfer the bundle oftube pieces, so that the table halves open up by the action of gravity(see table halves shown in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 3). Through theopening of the table halves by 90, the levers 38 are likewise rockedthrough 90, so that the guide bolts 44 now lie at the outer end of theslots 43. For the purpose of closing the table halves, compressed air ispassed into the outer working chambers of the pneumatic cylinders 39,40, whereby the pistons are moved inwards and the guide bolts are movedby the draw members 42. On closing, the table halves press back thelocking bolt 21, which has returned immediately into its lockingposition after the release of the table halves, by striking against itsbottom wedge-shaped surface. Through the action of a spring, the lockingbolt is then immediately brought back into its locking position. Thepistons in the pneumatic cylinders 39, 49, and thus also the piston rodsand the draw members, also return to the position shown in FIGURE 3after the closing of the table halves through the introduction ofcompressed air into the other working chambers of the cylinders 39, 46.

Each frame 17, 18, 19, 26 also carries two lateral guide bars 45, 46 anda holding bar 47 (see in particular FIGURE 3), which for the purpose ofadaptation to different dimensions of the tube pieces are adapted to beadjustably fastened to the frame by means of screws.

The apparatus works as follows: the tube pieces 2, which are first fedfrom the tube-drawing machine 1 t0 the conveyor belt 4, are deposited onthe delivery table 7. After the desired number of tube pieces has beenfed to the conveyor belt 4, the following tube pieces are fed to theconveyor belt 3 through the switching-over of the separator, a deliverytable ready to receive tube pieces being in position at the end of saidconveyor belt at the moment of the arrival of the first tube piece.While tube pieces are still being fed to the delivery table 7, deliverytable 8 is transferring to the conveyor belt 24 a loose bundle of tubepieces lying on it. When the feeding of tube pieces to the deliverytable 7 is completed, the transfer device It) is rocked through so thatthe delivery table 7 now lies above the conveyor belt 27, while thedelivery table 8 stands ready to receive tube pieces in front of theconveyor belt 4. Before the transfer device is rocked, the deliverytable 7 carrying a bundle of tube pieces is rocked into a horizontalplane, and after the rocking of the transfer device the empty deliverytable is rocked back into its inclined receiving position. The tubepieces 2 fed once again to the conveyor belt 4 after the switching overof the separator are now stacked into a loose bundle of tube pieces onthe delivery table 8. While the tube pieces are being fed to thedelivery table 8, the delivery table 7 is transferring the bundle oftube pieces lying on it to the conveyor belt 27, and thereupon thetransfer device it? is rocked back by 90 so that the delivery table 7again assumes the receiving position. The working cycle is then repeatedin the manner described. The mode of operation of the transfer device 9with the delivery tables 5 and 6 corresponds to the operation of thetransfer device 19 with the delivery tables 7 and S which has just beendescribed.

In the embodiment illustrated, the conveyor belts 24, 27 are drivenintermittently in such a manner that the bundles of tube pieces 22, 23and 25, 26 respectively are stacked in an olfset arrangement. A longdrying time for the longitudinal glued seams of the tube pieces is thusprovided. It is naturally equally possible to drive the conveyor belts24, 27 in accordance with individual requirements in such a manner thatthe bundles of tube pieces are deposited thereon only in one layer or inmore than two layers.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is illustrated inFIGURE 4 and described below.

As in the case of the first embodiment, the tube pieces arrive from thetube-drawing machine either on the conveyor belt 3 or on the conveyorbelt 4. Each conveyor belt is associated at its delivery end with atransfer device 50 and 51 respectively, each having two delivery tables52, 53 and 54, 55 respectively. The construction and operation of thetransfer devices correspond to those of the transfer devices 9 and 10 inthe first embodiment.

In contrast to the first embodiment however, three bottom-layingmachines 56, 57, 58 are now provided, which are disposed side by side insuch a manner that the middle machine lies in the longitudinal axis ofthe tube-drawing machine and the other two parallel thereto. The outputof the tube-drawing machine can in fact easily be increased to such anextent that it can feed three bottom-laying machines working at leastapproximately at maximum output. In order to effect the feeding of thethree bottom-laying machines uniformly and with the least possibleexpense, the two conveyor belts 59, 60 receiving the loose bundles oftube pieces from the transfer devices are not disposed exactly parallelto the longitudinal axis of the tube-drawing machine as in the otherembodiment, but diverge slightly in such a manner that their deliveryends are at an equal or substantially equal distance from twobottom-laying machines to be fed by the conveyor belt. The offsetting ofthe two delivery tables of each transfer device from one another exceeds90 by the amount of the angle between the longitudinal axis of eachconveyor belt and the longitudinal axis of the tube-drawing machine.

In further development of the principle of the invention, the apparatusmay be supplemented by a tube-drawing machine and two-bottom layingmachines 65, 66 as shown in chain-dotted lines on the right-hand side inFIGURE 4. Whereas, when this addition is not made, two-thirds of thebundles of tube pieces delivered on to the conveyor belt 59 aretransferred in the direction of the arrow 61 to the bottom-layingmachine 56 and onethird in the direction of the arrow 62 to thebottom-laying machine 57, and accordingly two-thirds of the bundles oftube pieces delivered on to the conveyor belt 60 are transferred in thedirection of the arrow 63 to the bottomlaying machine 58 and one-thirdin the direction of the arrow 64 to the bottom-laying machine 57, whenthis addition is made four-fifths of the bundles of tube piecesdelivered on to the conveyor belt 59 are transferred to thebottom-laying machine 56 and one-fifth to the bottomlaying machine 57,while the conveyor belt 60 delivers three-fifths of the bundles of tubepieces transported to the bottom-laying machine 57 and two-fifths to thebottom-laying machine 58. Similarly, the bottom-laying machine 58 andthe supplementary bottom-laying machines 65, 66 are fed by thesupplementary conveyor belts 67 and 68 with the corresponding number ofbundles of tube pieces.

The pneumatic and electric power sources for the various components ofthe transfer device of this invention as well as their controls,switches and connections are known and have therefore not beenillustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing cross-bottom valve bags, comprising atube-forming device working by the longitudinal delivery method and abottom-laying device working by the transverse delivery method, in whichmultilayer paper tube portions are fed from the tube-forming device tothe bottom-laying device with the formation of bundles of tube pieces atthe outlet of the tube-forming device, while at the end of thetube-forming device pivotable delivery tables are provided which formparts of transfer devices and which transfer the bundles of tube piecesformed on them and standing rearwardly inclined to horizontal transportdevices which feed the bundles of tube pieces to the bottom-layingdevice, while at the end of the tube-forming device there are disposed,one on the right and one on the left, said horizontal transport devicestransversely receiving and transporting the bundles of tube pieces, andat the end of said horizontal transport devices the bottom-layingdevice, preferably consisting of two bottom-laying machines, is disposedparallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube-forming device whereineach of the transfer devices comprises two delivery tables disposed atleast approximately at right angles to one another and a rocking elementfor commonly rocking the delivery tables of each transfer device about avertical axis through the angle enclosed between them, and wherein therearwardly inclined delivery tables are each held on a correspondinglyinclined frame comprising pivoting means for pivoting each frametogether with its delivery table through the angle of inclination into ahorizontal plane, each delivery table being divided and adapted to movein relation to the frame in such a manner that a bundle of tube piecescan be lowered downwards.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each rocking element has tworocking arms which are joined fast together and the free ends of whichare forked, and that each frame is mounted, in or approximately in theaxis of gravity of the parts to be rocked, on the free forked end of oneof the rocking arms.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each transfer device isrockable by means of a gear motor through a gearwheel fastened on therocking axis.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each delivery table has twotable plate halves and the two table plate halves of each delivery tableare mounted by their sides facing away from one another to be rockableon the appertaining frame in such a manner that the table plate halvescan open out in the downward direction.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the table plate halves areheld in their closed position by means of a locking bolt.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein for the purpose of closingthe table plate halves a crank is associated with each of them.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the crank is connected to thepiston rod of a double action piston slidable in a pneumatic cylinderwhich is rockable about an axis extending parallel to the axis ofrotation of the crank.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the crank carries at its freeend a guide bolt which engages in a slot in a draw member at the freeend of the piston rod, and that the length of the slot is so dimensionedand the crank and the pneumatic device are so adjusted in relation toone another that on the opening up of the table plate halves the guidebolt can move freely in the slot.

9. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the table plate halves of thedelivery table are held on the frame to be slidable outwards in oppositedirections.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein three bottom-laying machinesare provided, which are disposed side by side in such a manner that themiddle machine lies in the longitudinal axis of the tube-forming deviceand the other two lie parallel thereto.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the transport devices ineach case feed bundles of tube pieces not only to a lateralbottom-laying machine but also to the middle bottom-laying machine andare disposed to diverge in such a manner that their delivery ends are atthe same or substantially the same distance from two bottom-layingmachines to be fed through the transport device.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the angle enclosed betweenthe two delivery tables of each transfer device is greater than by theangle between the longitudinal axis of each transport device and thelongitudinal axis of the tube-forming device.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in addition a tube-formingdevice with two transfer devices and two transport devices and also twobottom-laying machines are provided, and that the additional transportdevice lying opposite the first tube-forming device feeds to thebottom-laying machine lying opposite the first additional bottom-layingmachine preferably half of the bundles of tube pieces to be processed bysaid bottom-laying machine.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each frame carries twolateral guide bars and a holding bar which for the purpose of adaptationto different tube piece dimensions are fastened adjustably on theappertaining frame by means of screws or the like.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,334,384 11/1943 Cohen 198-31 X2,730,302 1/1956 Roberts 9393 3,291,010 12/1966 Williamson 9393 BERNARDSTICKNEY, Primary Examiner.

